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I think I'll start posting up a log, a place to park my daily toils, and my randomness.
A bit of background first is needed I think so you get where I'm coming from.

I'm 52 and I started lifting weights again in Nov 2009 after not touching one since 1979 (my senior year in HS)... So for those 30yrs in-between, I drank and smoked and pretty much ate whatever I pleased... This despite watching my Dad struggle with his diabetes, and dealing with his quintuple bypass as well... Yeah, I wasn't getting the message I guess...
You know what's next right?
Yep...
In my early 30's I was started on two meds for high BP...
In my early 40's I was started on two meds for high blood sugars...
Hi I'm Greg and I'm a Type II diabetic...

After some time on the BS meds my numbers were still trending up. in 2008 I decided to start hitting the cardio hard... I got fitter (relatively speaking) but my A1C's were still trending upwards. WTH? Maybe I was pre-dispositioned to this and there was nothing I could do. The Doc says to get the belly fat off!
But no matter how much treadmill/stepper/dynamic exercises I did it stayed put.
For several years I had a very bad right shoulder, in March 2009 I decided to get it fixed. I had a sizable tear in the cuff as well as some issues with the clavicle and acromion bones being separated and actually crossed over each other... no wonder I had impingement issues! After 5wks in a sling I was allowed to start therapy... I followed the advice, but I also did thousands of reps on the Freemotion cable machine, working, working, working...
I rocked my rehab in weeks vs. months and was released on my own recognizance... On my own I moved to DB's as well as other machines.
It felt good to "work out"... In Nov 2009 I decided to try and relearn lifting; hopefully not too soon after surgery...
I switched gyms from the "big box" gym to a local "club" gym.
For the next full year I attended the 3-day/wk weight training class. Boy it was rough setting the ego aside and start from scratch! At 49 I was 2x's the age of the other dudes. But I did it and guess what? I started getting strong, started seeing my inner athlete come out... but even better... my BS numbers changed.
Mid Jan 2010, just 10wks after starting my Doc halved the dosages and could not believe my progress "whatever you're doing, keep it up...".
In Aug 2010, he dropped the Actos and Metphormin altogether! BOOM!
Who does that?

Bored yet?
Hope not... read on...
So now what? I'm off meds... So my diet is of extreme importance now!
In Dec 2010 I decided to step it up, see how far I could take it.
I started PT 2x's per week + 3 days on my own (5-day split). By June I was ready for my 1st show. I had a great time showing off my progress and placed 3rd in my Masters 50+ division; 6th in "Novice"... I was far from being pro status but I was psyched at the response I got from fellow competitors, etc...
I added one more show in Nov 2011 and placed in both 40+ and 50+ divisions...

2012 I had planned to do even better and add more shows... but, best laid plans and all that... My Dad's health deteriorated, he had been on dialysis now for a while but now not responding well, many trips to the ER, etc...
He passed in July 2012 from complications of his poor management, renal failure and a host of associated ills. I had kept up my training and diet, but no way was this at show prep level... He was always proud of me for turning my health around, I promised to keep it up and be there for my own Grands.
Now for the "silver lining", also 2012 was a great year for telling my story about kicking Father Time in the grapes and reversing my Type II through weight training and diet. Several websites ran the story, I hope you may have seen one or two of them...

So, there it is... Feel free to ask me anything, I have no secret formula just work hard and keep my nutrition in check... I continue to tweak both always!
I'm not the most muscular nor am I the most ripped up, but my drive to get there will always be now... You fellows that are at that higher level than I, know your my inspiration and my goal... NO EXCUSES